Watford Premier League Football Club

A professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, that plays in the Premier League, the highest level in the English football league system. Founded in 1881 as Watford Rovers, the club entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and in 1922 they moved into their larger stadium at Vicarage Road.

Watford 1 - 2 ManUtd

A great effort from the Hornets after the break, but two first half goals from the visitors ultimately bring the 100 per cent record to an end.

20 October 2017

Watford manager Marco Silva has challenged his players to tackle Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with the same fighting spirit which beat Arsenal.

The Hornets climbed up to fourth place in the Premier League after coming from behind to beat the Gunners 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal from Tom Cleverley.

Much was made of the post-match comments from captain Troy Deeney, who claimed Arsene Wenger's team had lacked "a bit of cojones" needed in the scrap for points.

While Silva is determined to move on from the fall-out - having had words with the striker, whose penalty levelled the match with 20 minutes left - the Portuguese coach would like more of the same collective effort against the reigning champions.

"I feel pride when I see the way they worked in the last match. I saw the ambitions we had in that moment, when we scored the 1-1 against a big team like Arsenal, we didn't go back, we continued in our work and tried to achieve a better result for us," Silva said.

"I don't want my players to give up, and that is impossible when the result is open."

Despite their lofty position, Silva, who took over at Vicarage Road in the summer having left Hull, remains determined to keep everyone's focus on the job in hand.

"You want to compete every match and that's our way, it's important we show our ambition during the matches," Silva told the club's official website.

"Everybody knows what our goal is, and everybody knows for us it is not important what position we are in (now), but of course if you look at the (current) table it is good for everybody."

Watford have recovered strongly from their 6-0 trashing by Manchester City to win two of the past three games.

Chelsea, meanwhile, come into Saturday's televised lunchtime clash on the back of successive Premier League defeats which leaves them in fifth.

Antonio Conte's men, though, showed their resilience with a battling 3-3 draw against Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Silva knows just what the challenge is in front of his Watford team when they head to west London.

"You prepare to go into the match at Stamford Bridge to compete, but of course the favourites are Chelsea," he said.

"In football the last (few) results are really important, but for one team like Chelsea with the player they have in their roster, it is not the most important because they have players who can decide the match in one minute.

"They want to change their last two results from the Premier League, when a team wants to become champions, that is normal."

Source: PA

15 October 2017

Watford winger Richarlison could be the first-ever player to be punished by the FA’s new retrospective disciplinary panel, following his alleged dive in the Hornets’ 2-1 win against Arsenal on Saturday evening.

The Brazilian appeared to dive as he raced into Arsenal’s penalty area with Hector Bellerin in hot pursuit. Though Bellerin attempted to play the ball, he connected with neither ball nor man, but Richarlison still went to ground with referee Neil Swarbrick awarding the penalty. Troy Deeney then stepped up to convert Watford’s equaliser.

Former Premier League referee Graham Poll believes that the incident was a dive from Richarlison.

“There is no contact. That is as clear an example of a dive as you’re going to see and the FA’s review panel need to have a look at that.”

The FA’s retrospective disciplinary action system was introduced for the start of the 2017-18 season, where a selected panel of former players, managers and officials decide whether or not a match official has been deceived through the act of simulation which results in either a penalty or a red card for the opposing team. Should a player be found guilty, they will be awarded a two match ban.

Arsenal took the lead at Vicarage Road thanks to a Per Mertesacker header on the stroke of half time. However, Watford responded with little time to go, with Deeney converting Watford’s controversial spot-kick in the 72nd minute, leaving Tom Cleverley to steal the spoils in the second minute of injury time. Marco Silva’s side now sit fourth in the Premier League.

The train named in memory of Graham Taylor was unveiled by his wife Rita

London midlands senior conductor came up with the idea as the train runs passed the clubs which were manage by the hero.

6 February 2017

Watfords Community Sports and Education Trust receive League Award
held at St Mary's Church

Thanks to a £55,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the project will see the trust organise a series of events and activities to celebrate its achievements and contribution to Watford.

obyn Llewelyn, Head of HLF East of England, said: “Watford Football Club has been a huge part of Watford life and beyond for more than 130 years.

"We’re delighted that we can support this excellent project which, thanks to National Lottery players, will celebrate the club’s outreach contribution and impact it has had on the community which has cheered it on for decades.

"We look forward to seeing the project develop in the coming months.”

It was during the 1980s that Watford Football Club’s community focus really began driven by manager at the time, Graham Taylor OBE, with the full support of owner Sir Elton John.

England manager Graham Taylor's tenure at the club saw Watford scale new heights. Between Taylor's appointment in 1977 and departure in 1987, Watford rose from the Fourth Division to the First Division.